Wednesday, March 27, 2013

A
terrifying entity is haunting the people of South Carolina. The Gullah people
of this region have long said “Don’t let
de hag ride ya!” before they settle into bed for the night. This is the
dreaded Boo Hag, a regional variant of the Old Hag, which is a vampirelike
creature that sits on the chests of sleeping people. It then steals the
victim’s lifeforce by causing terrifying nightmares.

The
Boo Hag (also known as the Slip-Skin Hag) is an entity that is very similar to
the Vampire of Central and Eastern European folklore (although whether she is a
witch, a ghost, a demon, or a revenant of some kind is unclear). It is said
that, like her counterpart (the Old Hag), she sits on the chests of her victims
and “rides” them. During the attack, the Hag steals their breath (the Spiritus Vitae, known as the “Breath of
Life” or, put simply, the lifeforce). She is known to inhabit abandoned houses,
which generally lie deep within the swamps of South Carolina that she calls
home.

The
Boo Hag herself is difficult to miss (or to forget, for that matter) once she
reveals her true form (assuming that she isn’t invisible). The Boo Hag has no
skin to call her own and, because of this, her muscles, tendons, and bulging
arteries are horrifically exposed (the muscle itself is said to be blood-red).
If a brave man were to attempt to grapple with the Hag, he would feel the
unmistakable sensation of grabbing a hunk of raw meat. However, wrestling with
the Boo Hag is hardly an advisable course of action, as the creature possesses
supernatural strength and can easily overpower a full-grown man.

With
that being said, the Boo Hag’s skin is not her own. She steals the skin from
those victims that struggle during her attack and that she actually kills
(usually young women, although she has been known to take the form of a man as
well), and wears it as her own. Therefore, it is advisable not to fight her or
otherwise struggle during an encounter with the Hag. During the day, she
appears to be an ordinary woman. Most commonly, the Boo Hag appears as a young
and beautiful lady, but she may also take the form of a harmless old woman. But
by night, the Hag removes her skin and takes to the skies (some say as a ball
of light), flying about in search of those whom she may harass and torture
whilst they sleep. Victims of the Hag are said to experience sleep paralysis
(during which one is aware of his surroundings, but is unable to move), may
wake up with strange scratches, insomnia due to recurring nightmares, and will
succumb to exhaustion and illness as a result. All together, these symptoms
will lead to mental illness and inevitable death. But how does the Hag do this?
Very simply, she “rides” her victims. She sits on the victim’s chest and, by
doing so, she restricts or even completely stops the person’s breathing, which
could lead to suffocation if the Boo Hag doesn’t stop before death occurs. If the
victim is a man, she may even rape him (which gives the phrase “hag-ridden” a
whole new meaning). But even if one figures out that he is being attacked by
this creature, stopping her is extremely difficult. The Boo Hag may become
invisible at will, and she can pass through the tiniest cracks, holes, or
spaces in order to gain entry to a potential victim’s bedroom (keyholes seem to
be a favorite entry point for her). Legends say that she is able to shapeshift into
an insect as well. How can one hope to stop such evil?

For
all of the Boo Hag’s power, there are a number of ways to keep her at bay and
even to rid oneself of the Hag’s presence forever. The Boo Hag, like her
European cousin the Vampire, suffers from a form of obsessive-compulsive
disorder known as arithmomania. She feels compelled to count her actions or small
objects in her surroundings, which is why one may hang a kitchen sieve over the
bed (as she will feel compelled to count the holes). Scattering sesame seeds
around the bed will accomplish this as well. Be aware, however, that some of
these creatures are fast counters.
Therefore, it may be necessary to have more than one sieve around or to use
more than a handful of seeds. This counting will keep her occupied, as she
cannot attack her victim until she is finished counting. With any luck, it will
keep the Hag busy until sunrise. If she cannot make it back to her skin in
time, the sun’s rays will destroy her.

If
the Boo Hag should gain entry to
one’s home, she may be kept out of the bedroom by placing a straw broom against
the door. No Boo Hag may pass such a broom until she has counted every single
bristle. By the time she’s finished, it will be nearly sunrise, and she will
have to quickly retreat to her skin, or she will perish. But if that should
fail, it is said that the Boo Hag, like other evil spirits (or haints, as the Gullah people know them),
are repelled by the color indigo blue. Colors have a special significance in
Gullah culture, in that each color represents a different aspect of their
lives. In Gullah culture, the color blue is associated with the supernatural.
It speaks of black magic and witchcraft to some, but to others it is protection
against ghosts and creatures that dwell in the darkness. Painting the window
frames, the front porch, or even the exterior doors of one’s house is
guaranteed to prevent the Boo Hag from entering. In fact, the belief in this
color’s powers of protection is so strong that it has been called “haint blue.”
Tradition says that a smudge of this paint on the body will prevent a Boo Hag
from attacking (the forehead is a good place for this). A tattoo in this color may ward off the creature, but it may only be effective if the tattoo is worn in plain sight. But not only would it
keep evil spirits and creatures at bay, the Gullahs say that if the Hag even
touches something covered with this paint, it will cause her searing pain.

Like
all supernatural evil, the Boo Hag fears and hates salt. It can be sprinkled on
a floor to keep her at bay, but the most effective use of this substance by far
is to thoroughly salt her empty skin while she is “out for the night" (although most legends
say that one must use pepper as well). The Boo Hag, it is said, does not like
the smell of asafoetida (Ferula
assafoetida), and so it may be wise to place a bag of this pungent herb on
one’s nightstand or bedside table. The Hag also detests sulfur and, as a
result, she hates gunpowder as well. While it is not uncommon for people to
place a loaded gun at their bedside, the Boo Hag is terrified by the smell of
gunpowder. Thus, it serves a double purpose in South Carolina: to protect one’s
family, and to ward off the attentions of the Hag. Placing a matchstick (common
sense dictates that the match should be unlit)
in one’s hair before bed will keep her at bay as well (since the match head
contains sulfur as well). Additionally, a person should never disturb any kinds
of mushrooms (known as “hag stools”). Apparently (and rather humorously), the Boo
Hag likes to sit down on these mushrooms and relax while she “reads the
newspapers”.

In
addition to those mentioned above, there are other ways of protecting oneself
from the Boo Hag as well. Reciting Psalm 121 is said to be great protection
against the Hag for someone who is walking outside after nightfall. But almost
any favorite piece of Scripture may be written down and carried in a pocket for
protection. Likewise, sincere and fervent prayers to God will accomplish the
same thing. It is said by some that if an individual knows the Boo Hag’s true
identity, he should write her name with the word “Hag” above his front door.
This will prevent her from entering the house. One may also place forks under
his pillow, in order to prevent the Hag from “riding” them in the first place.

It
should be known that the Boo Hag is a clever and malicious creature. In some
folktales, the Hag will drop down from a tree onto a person and hitch a ride.
Thus she gains entrance into a home, where she may torture the occupants at her
leisure. In a similar manner, she will hide in clean clothes that have been
left outside to dry on a clothesline all night. The next day, she will be
carried in with the clothes. As she can become invisible at will, her innocent
victims never know that she is coming. Therefore, all laundry should be put
indoors before dark (and it is common sense to do so, too). But not only does
the Boo Hag attack people, she also torments animals as well. Stories are told
of the Hag stealing horses and riding them at night. If a horse is sweaty, the
hairs of it’s tail and mane are knotted, or if the poor animal is acting
especially tired or nervous, then it is likely that the Boo Hag has been riding
the horse. If this continues, the animal will eventually drop dead.

Fortunately,
there are some warning signs that a Boo Hag is close by. Some dogs are able to
sense her presence, regardless of whether she is invisible or has taken human
form. When a Hag is near, dogs will start howling and barking (and just
generally start making a racket). Crows will also recognize a disguised Hag for
what she truly is, and will cry out if she should pass by. If a Boo Hag is
close, the very air will become hot and damp like a summer day. Then, the smell
of rot and decay will follow and fill the air. If both of these portents should
become obvious, one should immediately leave the area. But to rid oneself of
the Boo Hag’s presence forever, a direct confrontation may become necessary. In
other words, one must publicly accuse the suspected person of being a Boo Hag.
Supposedly, doing so will rob her of the ability to do people any harm. If for
some reason this doesn’t work, however, or the wrong person is accused, beware
of the Boo Hag’s revenge!

As
for actually destroying the Boo Hag, it is a very difficult (although not
impossible) task to accomplish. As mentioned earlier, it is possible to take
advantage of the Hag’s compulsive nature and force her to count seeds, the
holes in a kitchen sieve or colander, or to count the bristles on a straw broom
until dawn. At this time, she is extremely vulnerable and will be forced to
seek out her skin. If she is too late, the rays of the morning sun will destroy
her. In many folktales, she literally explodes.
Another method of getting rid of the Boo Hag is to destroy her skin while she
is seeking a victim during the night. To do this, one must first find the skin.
The Hag is a crafty monster, and so she will hide it in a place that is hard to
reach or otherwise difficult to get to. Once found, the skin should be
thoroughly salted and peppered (red pepper is said to be very effective as
well). Once the Boo Hag comes back and places the skin over her body, she will
be seized by an agonizing pain that will cause her to wildly fly about into the
open air, where the sun will destroy her. Finally, there is the use of magic to
dispose of the Boo Hag. Men and women who dabble in Hoodoo (also known as root
doctors, conjurers, or root workers) know of rituals, spells, and incantations
that can be used to trap, repulse, and even to kill the Hag. One of the most
common ways of doing this is to trap the Boo Hag in a bottle while she has
taken the form of an insect. The insect is then killed, destroying the Boo Hag
once and for all.

If
anything or anyone fears the Boo Hag more than the rest, it is the Gullah
people. The Gullah themselves are an offshoot of the West African slave trade,
during which Africans with various cultural backgrounds were imprisoned in
fairly large numbers together. Over time, these people have formed a diverse,
cohesive culture that is all their own: the Gullah culture. Today, almost half
a million Gullahs live along the eastern coast of the United States, ranging
from North Carolina to Florida. They have persevered and endured centuries of
war, natural disasters, and slavery, and will continue to do so. They are a
fascinating people. When the Africans originally came together, they brought
their own religious and spiritual beliefs with them. These superstitions and
beliefs gradually blended together over time, with the addition of Christianity
completing the mix. The dreadful Boo Hag is but one of the end results. The
Gullah still believe in her to this very day, and they remain terrified of the
Hag’s power over them. Perhaps there is indeed something to these beliefs, with
a horrifying reality lurking behind the stories and legends. Maybe it is wisest
to be on one’s guard. Humankind may never truly know what lurks outside in the
darkest nights. And, as the Gullahs say, don’t
let de hag ride ya!

Friday, March 22, 2013

In the late 1970s, a cemetery near Pittsburgh
had built a new Mausoleum. It had been promised for years and the salesmen
eager to make a lucrative commission had pre-sold crypts long before they were
available. So many makeshift cement above ground crypts were quickly built for
those who had purchased mausoleum spaces and had passed on before they were
built.

When the mausoleum was finished it was the
job of the gravediggers to disinter the bodies and place them in their new
crypts. It was a disgusting and dirty job, for many of the caskets leaked the
liquefied remains of the deceased. To make matters worse for the gravediggers, every
body had to be physically identified by a mortician who had originally embalmed
the victim and note clothing or jewelry to make sure the corpse in the casket
was the person named on the make shift crypt.

The supervisor remembered each decaying face,
for it was burned in his memory but one stood out. Most of the bodies had long
since dried up and become desiccated. If any flesh was left, it was almost
tanned leather hanging off the bony skeleton. Some looked as if they were made
out of jello as the corpse had decomposed into a liquid goo. But one was odd.

When they opened the coffin of the old man it
was like he had just been laid to rest, except for one disturbing and obvious
fact. He was covered with a furry grey-green fungus. All his flesh had been
eaten by the fungus, but it held the shape of his face so well it shocked the
superintendent and the undertaker. Except for the odd color and the fleecelike
look of his skin, he looked like he might just open his eyes or mouth at any
moment.

They quickly got over the initial shock and
noted that he was indeed who he was supposed to be, and put the coffin in the
second level in the back of the newly constructed Mausoleum.

Monday morning, when the maintenance crew came
to open up the office, they noticed the mausoleum door was open. As they near
the open door they immediately knew something was wrong. Something was smeared
on the glass door of the mausoleum, and as they looked inside one of the crypts
was open. And it was empty.

Fearing they had graverobbers they went to
call the police, but as they rounded the corner to head back to the office they
passed the old make shift cement crypts. One was open and it held a casket.

It was the casket of the mold man, right back
in the place he had been interned for the last five years. To be sure
everything was all right and they did not have a grave robber playing a joke,
they opened up the coffin. The body was still there and the jewelry he wore was
still intact. They called the police, but there was nothing they could do but
file a vandalism report. The body was placed back in the mausoleum.

After they sealed up the crypt again the
staff noticed that the smear on the door was the same color as the mold that
covered the man. Also disturbing there seemed to be small pieces of the stuff
on the carpet that covered the floor from the crypt to the doorway. The body
did not look molested at all, and the casket had shown no visible signs of
forced opening, but it was still very disturbing.

Two weeks later, it happened again.
Everything was the same, the crypt was opened and the casket was found resting
in its old spot. Even the smear and pieces of mold scattered here and there.
But one thing was different this time. It had recently rained and the ground
was soft. A single trail of footprints ran from the mausoleum to the make shift
crypt.

And they were almost erased by the tracks
left by the dragged coffin.

There were only a single set of tracks.

And it was then that they noticed the handles
of the coffin were also smeared with the gray green mold. It was if the mold
man had somehow came out of the coffin and dragged it back to his original
resting place.

But that was physically impossible…wasn’t it?

Nevertheless a close look at the corpse and
the fallen mold made everyone present shiver. They were the same material. Once
again the body was laid to rest in the mausoleum, and the funeral director
brought in a Catholic Clergyman to once again give Last Rites and a blessing on
the tomb. Mold man stayed put this time.

The maintenance crew always gave his crypt
special attention. They always feared that one morning they would find it open
again, and see the evidence of mold man once again walking the earth.

When you work at a cemetery for any length of
time and meet others who have lived the life of a gravedigger for years, you
hear some strange and unexplained stories.

And you hope that you are not the next one to
come in the next morning with fear in their eyes and tell the others, “You are
not going to believe this, but…”

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

In
the South American country of Chile, it is known and widely acknowledged that
black magic and sorcery do exist. The
people also know that such witchcraft can create truly vile, freakish beings.
One such creature is the Invunche, a twisted and once-human facsimile of a man
that acts as a guardian to its creator’s lair. As hideous as this monster is,
know that there is more pain and sorrow in it’s existence than any man should
have to bear in one lifetime. The
name invunche (pronounced in-voon-chay) itself means “master of the hide” or, in the Mapudungun language, "monster person". The Invunche, also known as the Imbunche or achucho de la cueva, was
once human. The creature’s creation begins when a firstborn male baby is kidnapped
by a coven of witches or, worse yet, is bartered or sold to them by his own
parents. Once in the hands of the sorcerers (which are known as Brujo Chilote), the child’s life in Hell
begins. Firstly, they break one of
the baby’s legs and twist it over the infant’s back. The leg is fixed there
with crude surgery and incantations. Next, the hands, arms, and the other leg
are dislocated and twisted into strange positions. In some legends, the right
arm is forced through a hole cut under the right shoulder blade, so that the
arm will protrude from the back. It is likely that, throughout this gruesome
process, the only thing that is keeping the baby boy alive is the dark magic of
the sorcerers. Furthermore, the head and the neck of the boy are gradually twisted
over a period of time until they too are grotesquely misshapen. Finally, once
all of the breaking and twisting is done, the witches smear a magic cream or
salve all over the now-disfigured child’s body. This cream causes the boy’s
skin to become darker and thicken, while at the same time causing course black
hair to grow all over the boy’s body. At this point, the boy’s tongue is cut at
the tip so that it more or less resembles the flickering tongue of a serpent.

Once
the physical disfigurements and dark incantations are finished, it takes
several years to complete the agonizingly slow transformation. In the interim,
the child (if one may truly call the aberrant thing by that innocent name) is
abused and subjected to yet more black magic, and is fed the milk from a gata (a word for a female cat, but it
also makes reference to an “Indian wet nurse” as well). Later on, the Invunche
is fed cabrito (the flesh of innocent
children). Eventually, the monster is allowed to eat chivo (the flesh of an adult). Once the Invunche reaches
adolescence, his mind and human intelligence are completely gone, and the
transformation is at last complete.

As
was said earlier, the Invunche serves as a guardian, watching over and
protecting the lair of its master (which is almost always found at the bottom
of a lake). The creature is particularly well-suited to this role, as the
transformation from human to monster gives the creature some unique abilities.
While it is not very quick or agile (it is in fact a slow, lumbering and very
clumsy creature), the Invunche has great strength and the ability to paralyze
intruders with the fear caused by it’s horrible bloodcurdling scream. Some even
say that seeing the Invunche itself will cause a person to become so frightened
that it freezes the intruder in place…permanently.
Only the witches may look upon him without repercussions. But, according to
Chilean folklore, the Invunche is said to have a minion of it’s own that does
the beast’s bidding. This lesser creature is known as the Trelquehuecuve (yes,
it’s a mouthful), a giant water monster which can be likened to a giant cowhide
with eyes and claws around it’s perimeter that devours humans who get caught in
the whirlpools (known elsewhere as El
Cuero). This creature has been described as being brown in color, with
splotches of white. When the Invunche is short on food (which is usually goat
meat that, as the witch’s human sacrifices are considered to be too valuable to
waste), the Trelquehuecuve lures young girls to the water’s edge, abducts the
poor child, and presents them to the Invunche. The monster will then seize the
girl and drain her blood completely. In some of the legends, the Invunche
itself is allowed to leave the cave when food is scarce. It is said that he
will hunt down young virgins and devour them.

As
mentioned earlier, the Invunche itself is horribly misshapen and covered in
thick black hair. The monster is described as having a round, balloon-shaped
belly, long nails on its fingers, and a snake’s forked tongue. It walks about clumsily on two arms and
its one good leg, although the creature is said to be able to leap about. Even
though it was once human, the creature itself cannot speak and can only
communicate by howling and grunting like an animal. Despite dwelling in a cave
that is only accessible via a hidden subterranean lake, the Invunche cannot
swim. And while the beast is usually forbidden from leaving the cave that it
guards, on occasion the witches have a need to travel outside of the safety of
their lair. For this, the witches use their shapeshifting abilities to fly
their guardian slave out of the cave. The reason for this varies, as they may
go out seeking food, human victims, or to spread evil amongst the local
communities. What the coven’s goals truly are remains a mystery.

As
tough as this abomination may be, it is
possible to kill the Invunche. Because it was once human, the monster is still
vulnerable to man-made weapons like cold steel and firearms. However, there is
another difficult task to face beforehand: one must kill the Trelquehuecuve,
the water beast that serves the Invunche. As this creature is said to be large
in size and vicious towards humans, slaying the monster will not be an easy task.
However, the Trelquehuecuve is more than likely susceptible to ordinary
weapons. Only once it is dead can a man attempt to destroy the Invunche. As
likely as not, killing this creature may prove to be difficult. It is said that
not only can seeing the Invunche can permanently paralyze a person with fear:
it may cause the victim’s mind to cross the boundaries of sanity into the realm
of madness. Contemplating the horrific crimes against nature that the Invunche
represents may accomplish the same result. In other words, trying to kill an
Invunche is foolhardy and extremely dangerous. But if it is absolutely
necessary, decapitation and excising the heart may prove to be a saving grace,
followed by burning the remains. Legends do not give much detail as to how the
Invunche may be dealt with.

However,
there is a safer alternative. The Invunche guards the mouth of the cave,
barring entry to all but the witches themselves. Legends say that, to gain
admittance, one must kiss the Invunche on the ass. A bold, if somewhat frightening action. The reason for this
may be that, culturally speaking, it is an utterly demeaning act that shows not
only a hero’s inner strength, but his commitment to destroying evil and the
willingness to humble himself for the greater good. The Invunche, for some
unknown reason, will let him pass. Of course, once he’s dealt with the witches,
he may have a fight to the death on his hands with the creature.

In
the end, the Invunche represents an unspeakable crime against both God and
humanity. It is an aberration, an unnatural creature born of evil and darkness.
One is actually doing the monster a favor by putting the Invunche out of it’s
misery before he deals with the witches. Then, God’s Wrath incarnate will come
down upon them with a swift sword and send them both back to Hell, where they
belong. In other words, do not follow
in the footsteps of the Brujo Chilote!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

When
someone mentions the word werewolf,
images of a full moon, silver bullets, and hairy man-beasts with a hunger for
human flesh come to mind. Although not every culture shares that image,
shapeshifting beasts can be found all over the world in differing forms. In the
South American country of Argentina, a creature called El Lobizon (sometimes known as the Lobison) is spoken of in hushed whispers. The word lobizon itself means “sons of the
wolves.” While most of modern society refuses to believe in the existence of
werewolves and other such creatures of the night, the terror that this beast
holds over the people of Argentina is very
real.

The
Lobizon as the people of South America know it (the beast is also known and
reported in Uruguay, Paraguay, and Brazil) is a bit different from the Western
notion of the Werewolf. According to legend, the Lobizon is a type of Werewolf
(some say that the beast is a weredog or a werefox of some kind) that is most
often described as being quadrupedal (that is, walking on four legs), but is
occasionally seen walking on its hind legs. But, unlike the Hollywood
incarnation of the beast, El Lobizon is created not from the bite of another
Werewolf, but is the result of a hereditary curse. Only the seventh son (that
is to say, the seventh boy in an unbroken line of boys) may inherit the
condition. This has caused immense fear in the people, and as a result has
caused a lot of people to give up these children for adoption, to outright
abandon them, and are even killed by their own families in some cases. And like
the Hollywood version of the Werewolf, the Lobizon is subject to the cycles of
the moon. Every night of the full moon, at the stroke of midnight (especially
if the full moon falls on a Friday night), the boy in question undergoes an
agonizing transformation into a ferocious wolflike beast of great size and
strength that lives to hunt and to kill. At dawn the next morning, the boy
reverts to his human form to once again assume a normal life, or at least until
the next full moon. Apart from being born the seventh son, it is said that if
the Lobizon’s saliva is sprinkled over another person, then they will gradually
fall to the Lobizon’s curse as well.

Unlike
the Hollywood Werewolf, as mentioned earlier, the Lobizon is generally said to
be a quadrupedal beast. The Lobizon, according to eyewitness accounts, is
described as being a very large wolf or a dog (one witness likened the beast to
“a dog the size of a calf”), having a
muscular body covered in dense, dark-colored fur, padded feet that end in sharp
claws, an elongated snout, large doglike ears, a furry tail, and a mouthful of
razor-sharp teeth. The beast is said to be fairly short in stature, and is
sometimes seen as having legs like a child’s. One eyewitness, a junkyard manager,
compared the creature to an “enormous
monkey” when he encountered the monster late one night. Additionally,
according to eyewitness testimony, the Lobizon has a chilling, evil stare (much
like the infamous Beast of Bray Road from Wisconsin). And in addition to its
fearsome appearance, the Lobizon is reported to be extremely savage. If
cornered (not an easy task), the creature is said to be able to tear a bloody
swathe through half a dozen men very quickly. Some say that, while the beast
likes to feed on excrement, unbaptized babies, and the flesh of the recently
dead, it is still dangerous to people. If the creature should encounter a lone
person, the Lobizon will not hesitate to attack. And when it does attack,
there’s only one thing to do: run like hell!
El Lobizon is possessed of unnatural strength and speed, and the beast’s
endurance ensures that any chase will be short-lived. And after the monster
wears its prey out, the Lobizon’s ripping claws and teeth-filled, tearing jaws
make very quick work of the victim and his body. In short, it is no trouble for
the beast to tear a grown man to pieces.

Reports
most often tell of the Lobizon attacking domestic dogs and farm animals, but
the beast has also been known to menace people as well, even to the extent of
invading their very homes. One particular report of such an incident from
northern Argentina tells of a particularly bold Lobizon entering a private
residence, only to be clubbed and beaten by the occupants until the beast was
seemingly dead. Once they had dragged the body outside, the creature picked
itself up, seemingly unharmed, and ran off into the night.

So,
how does one kill such a beast? For that matter, how do people keep the beast
at bay? Like the Hollywood version of the monster (and contrary to traditional
European Werewolf lore), the Lobizon may be warded off with wolfsbane (Aconitum Septentrionale).And while wolfsbane is not common in (or
possibly even native to) South America, the herb was imported by wise travelers
who feared to be without the plant’s protective powers. According to tradition,
the herb’s seeds were sown into the soil of a freshly-dug grave. This way,
wolfsbane’s apotropaic properties would keep the grave’s occupant at eternal
peace.

As
for actually killing the beast, one does not need silver bullets or a
consecrated weapon to get the job done. Like any other animal, the Lobizon may
be dispatched with cold steel and fire (guns and other firearms will work,
too). Weapons like long spear and swords are recommended. But be warned: even
if one has amassed a large group of men who are armed to the teeth, extreme
caution is still advised. The Lobizon is extremely powerful, and moves with a
quickness that belies the creature’s size. Trying to pierce vital organs from a
relatively safe distance is always a good bet. Even once the beast is down and
seems to be dead, the creature’s body should be decapitated with a sharp, heavy
blade (like an axe or a sword). Next, the body should be burned to ashes (which
may take several hours), and then the ashes should be scattered to the winds or
dumped into flowing water. These measures will prevent El Lobizon from
regenerating and returning to life. In this case, it is truly better to be safe
than sorry.

While
it is true that people still believe in the existence of werewolves all over
the world, in Argentina the belief is so widespread that even the government is
forced to acknowledge the existence of the beast. To this day, the government
requires that all large families have their seventh sons baptized to avoid any
of the social stigma or superstition associated with the birth of a seventh
son.In 1920, the president of Argentina
Dr. Juan Hipolito Yrigoyen set forth an ingenious plan in order to rid his
country of the superstition and evil that had made all seventh sons outcasts
for decades. To that end, Yrigoyen officially decreed that he would henceforth
be the legal godfather of any seventh son born in Argentina. He also declared
that a gold medal would be presented to the boy’s parents during the baptism
ceremony. As a token of his generosity, he proclaimed that all seventh sons, by
law, would receive full educational scholarships until they reached the age of
twenty-one years. As might be expected, the reports of infanticide and abandonment
dropped dramatically. Even now, in the twenty-first century, those same laws
are still in effect. The president himself still attends at least some of the
baptism ceremonies, especially during election season. However, this has done
little to quell the reports of ferocious, doglike creatures attacking
livestock.

Despite
Yrigoyen’s efforts and his generosity, El Lobizon has been seen by hundreds of
eyewitnesses throughout the country. Not all of these sightings have been in
rural areas (like farmlands), but the beast has also been seen in villages and
small towns. These people swear that they have seen a werewolflike beast live
and in the flesh. These people are deeply religious, so a hoax is very
unlikely. But one man from the northern part of the country claims that he is a Lobizon. Not only that, but he
actually tried to transform for the
SyFy Channel’s original television series, Destination
Truth (starring Josh Gates and his team of paranormal investigators).
Although the “transformation” was highly dramatic, in the end there was no
physical change to be had. Was this man simply delusional? Or was he having
some fun at the expense of Josh and the rest of the team? Nobody really knows
for sure.

It
has long been speculated that El Lobizon came to South America with Portuguese
settlers. But historical records say that the Lobizon first made its
appearance in the early 1900s, and reports indicate that the beast is still
encountered in the present day. More recently (and perhaps a bit strangely),
some reports of the Lobizon haven linked with UFO activity. But while the fear
that the Argentinian people feel is very real, the beast doesn’t seem to terrify
them as much as some of the more gruesome monsters that are lurking in the
darkness of the night. This could be due to the fact that this particular
werebeast’s prey mainly consists of farm animals (like cows and chickens), as
the Lobizon takes delight in the taste of raw meat. There are very few, if any,
reliable reports of this creature having killed and eaten people. Perhaps the
beast views humans as being too risky to prey upon. But even though the dread
of being devoured by the creature is low, the people are still very frightened
by the notion of El Lobizon’s curse coming down upon their humble families.
Although skeptics may disagree, werewolves do indeed exist, and El Lobizon is
no exception.

About Me

I'm 29 years old, have a brother and two sisters, and I am currently at work researching for a book.
If you have had an encounter of a supernatural or a paranormal nature, please email me at KPG1986@msn.com. Please give me details on the appearance, the location, the behavior (if any could be observed), and whether or not the creature behaved in a threatening manner towards you. I'm not an expert on these creatures, but I'll try to help in any way that I possibly can. And when I send you a response, please take the time to send an email back. Thank you!